2017 US PGA Championship Preview

The best golfers in the world will make their way to Charlotte, North Carolina and the Quail Hollow Country Club for this week’s US PGA Championship event. While this venue has been used to host the Wells Fargo Championship every May on an annual basis each of the last 14 years, Quail Hollow will have the honor of hosting its first-ever major tournament in 2017. That will mean we have even more information at our disposal when breaking down the field for this event, which will also include the numbers recorded at the first three major tournaments of the season.

Details

Event: PGA Championship

Category: PGA

Date: August 10-13

Location: Quail Hollow Country Club, Charlotte, North Carolina

Jimmy Walker will defend his title after winning the PGA Championship in 2016. However, Walker will have some tough competition with Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler all looking to take him down. McIlroy in particular should feel very comfortable this week as a two-time PGA Championship winner who has also won the Wells Fargo Championship twice. McIlroy will be the sports betting favorite this week but with so much elite talent there will be plenty of legitimate contenders to consider.

Past Five Winners

2016: Jimmy Walker -14

2015: Jason Day -20

2014: Rory McIlroy (2) -16

2013: Jason Dufner -10

2012: Rory McIlroy -13

What To Know About The Course

The course at Quail Hollow will look slightly different this year after some minor alterations. The implementation of Champion Ultradwarf Bermudagrass on the greens and some new holes are among the notable changes but the course remains the same for the most part. Distance and accuracy off the tee will be important, but Scrambling might be the key statistic to consider this week. It will also be important for the contenders to take advantage of their opportunities on the greens with strong Putting statistics.

The Field

McIlroy is the sports betting favorite to win the PGA Championship for a third time this year at +800 odds. Meanwhile, Jordan Spieth is considered the second-most likely contender at +1000 odds, followed by Hideki Matsuyama at +1200 odds. Dustin Johnson is listed at +1400 odds as he attempts to recapture his elite major form while Rickie Fowler is listed at +1800 odds. The defending champion Walker is listed as a sports betting long shot to repeat at +10000 odds. Jason Day, who win this tournament in 2015, is listed at +2500 odds to win the PGA Championship for the second time.

A Good Matchup To Bet: Zach Johnson over Phil Mickelson

While Johnson might not clinch the outright win this week he is available at an excellent value in a sports betting matchup with Mickelson. Johnson has placed in the top-15 in each of his last thee starts including a 14th-place finish at the Open and a runner-up result at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in his last outing. Meanwhile, Mickelson has cracked the top-15 only once since the WGC-Mexico Championships and he is trending in the opposite direction with a missed cut and a 39th-place finish in his last two outings. It makes sense to capitalize on the value and bet on Johnson over Mickelson in the head-to-head sports betting matchup this week.

Top-Five Pick: Rory McIlroy

While this pick might seem obvious it is also impossible to ignore considering how the numbers line up. McIlroy has produced top-five finishes at the Open Championship and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in his last two starts. He is a two-time PGA Championship winner and he has absolutely dominated at Quail Hollow throughout the course of his career. McIlroy has two wins and six top-10 finishes in his seven starts at this venue. He also set the course record with a 61 in 2015 when he won that year by seven strokes. He is the sports betting favorite to win this tournament outright for many reasons. McIlroy should be a lock to finish in the top-five at the PGA Championship this week.

About Geoff Harvey

Geoff Harvey has been setting his fantasy rosters since his days in the womb, just don't ask him how he used to get his waiver-wire reports back then.
He's a lifelong fan of sports, especially the fantasy and betting aspects.

About Geoff Harvey

Geoff Harvey has been setting his fantasy rosters since his days in the womb, just don't ask him how he used to get his waiver-wire reports back then.
He's a lifelong fan of sports, especially the fantasy and betting aspects.